The Russian steelmaker Severstal is acting as a kind of test pilot for the World Steel Association's Step up programme, a GHG reduction initiative that the WSA hopes will help the steel industry contribute to the global transition towards a carbon-neutral economy.

Severstal is currently testing the methodology behind the Step up programme and intends to be the leader of 'the steel industry of the future', claiming that it is already well advanced technologically and wants to work with the World Steel Association forward in terms of environmental, social and corporate governance.

Worldsteel's own benchmarking ranks Severstal's Cherepovets Steel Mill at 16th place out of 64 companies (members of the World Steel Association) with comparable production technology. The plant produces 2.1 tons of CO2/ton of liquid steel and has developed an emissions map and has measured carbon content in raw materials and slags to help refine its GHG emission factors.

Based on the findings of the Step up project, Severstal will be announcing new GHG targets to 2025 at its Capital Markets Day in London, in early November.